I've been talking up how it might be fun to get towed behind the boat for a bit now, and he's warming up to the idea. So the question is, what sort of things should I look for as a teaching set of doubles for his size? He's around 40 lbs and around 3.5 feet tall. I'm looking for good used equipment. I've seen some that strap together (to maintain parallel orientation -- that's probably a good idea right? Anything else you guys can think of as well. . .

erervin

04-10-2013, 08:14 PM

Last summer we taught my five year old son how to get up using an old-school bob-sked. I was able to find one on eBay earlier this winter and now my four year old daughter is excited for it. I let him get used to standing on it in the water while I held the front-end down. Once he was ready to be towed, I drug on the back and let go once he was ready for me to do so. He should be ready for the training skis that are tied together this summer.

88 PS190

04-10-2013, 10:42 PM

Man people used to disc...

Screw embedding...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qONyTNaPOI

Plywood disc, cut out by taking a bit of chalk on a string, making a circle on some 1/2" plywood - cutting with a jig saw, doing some sanding, and applying marine varnish.

Spork

04-10-2013, 11:14 PM

Last summer we taught my five year old son how to get up using an old-school bob-sked. I was able to find one on eBay earlier this winter and now my four year old daughter is excited for it. I let him get used to standing on it in the water while I held the front-end down. Once he was ready to be towed, I drug on the back and let go once he was ready for me to do so. He should be ready for the training skis that are tied together this summer.

That's my plan as well, I picked us a zip sled from east tx skier, my 5 yr old can't wait to try it out and start skiing like his big sister.

We started our now 8 year old on a zip sled/bob sked like the one pictured above at just over a year old (with dad dragging behind). He skied on HO trainer skis at age 3.5. He has been riding the kneeboard all over the place for the last two seasons and really wants to slalom this year. I'm pricing ski schools for us.

Snipe

04-11-2013, 10:33 AM

http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Gladiator-Ski-Trainer&i=715608&aID=600A1&merchID=4006
This is what we used too. Can't keep them off it.

jwroblew

04-11-2013, 01:19 PM

We started our now 8 year old on a zip sled/bob sked like the one pictured above at just over a year old (with dad dragging behind). He skied on HO trainer skis at age 3.5. He has been riding the kneeboard all over the place for the last two seasons and really wants to slalom this year. I'm pricing ski schools for us.

I would look into Coble Ski School, my be a little far for you but April is awesome with little kids. Heck I've seen her in the water on several occasions teaching kids how to ski, I even saw her jump in the water right before she was leaving for the airport for a pro event to teach someone to ski. Can't think of many pro's that would do that. She had my daughter slalom skiing by the age of 5.

strad

04-11-2013, 09:21 PM

Okay I ordered the Gladiator. I think it might just do the trick for him. Next question. About how far behind the boat do you place your young skier? Obviously far enough to keep out of the CO zone. 30 feet or so? Or closer.

Taught my 4 year-old to ski off a 5' section off the boom, just to get him used to the pull up. He was very short and light for his age at the time. We used my kids skis from the early 1980s and we just tied them together so they couldn't spread more than his shoulder width.

Once he mastered the start, we would let him ride for a bit, then slow down to a stop, and pull him up again and again. After about 2-3 days off the boom, he went behind the boat at about 28' off length and he popped right up. Never went back to the boom.

Kids progress fast. Within a few weeks, we untied the back of the skis, and then a few weeks later, we untied the front.

The next year, we did the same process to teach him to slalom ski, and within a few weeks again, he was back behind the boat.

Now, at age 6, all he wants to do is barefoot. I'll keep him off the boom for a while there.

Kids are pretty resilient...biggest challenge is managing their expectations and trying to remain positive while they're telling you you have no idea how to drive a boat!

swatguy

04-13-2013, 09:42 PM

I held the rope for my 5 yr old. Started her and her younger sister close just behind the rooster tail. This way I could talk to them as well as give them some security. Once they were up slowly let the rope out to 65ft. did this the first few "learnng days". Not they are out all the way to 70ft all the time

I also second this
93090

My daughters loved it, as did all their friends. Very user friendly. You can go as slow as 5-7mph or crank up to 12mph and higher. It can get them comfortable with speed and also teach them how to edge. It just takes up a ton of space in the boat

JRW160

04-13-2013, 10:07 PM

This thread inspired me to look for something for my 5 year old daughter. I've been trying to get her to try wakeboarding or surfing, but she is afraid to try. Picked up one of these off craigslist for $50. She was sitting on it in the driveway and excited to give it a shot tomorrow.
http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Airhead-Big-EZ-Ski-200-Trainer&i=715459&r=view&aID=506AB3C&cvsfa=2586&cvsfe=2&cvsfhu=373135343539&s_kwcid=goobase_goobase_filler&cID=GSHOP_715459

XtwentyNot

04-14-2013, 01:57 AM

I get the kids floating with the board and rope and tug them by hand. Usually they float for a few minutes and are done. I try and teach them how the board floats and to relax, then when they feel the tug push against it and try to keep their butts in the water. After a while they are ready to be tugged harder, the younger the better because you can pretty much pull them up by hand. After a week/month/day (they all progress differently) they are ready to be pulled over so they feel a face plant, this is the most important step, as you want them to see they will float and get used to holding their head up, if they are very young they most likely can't flip the board back over under their own power and will have to wait for the boat to come around.

You can do all this in a pool too.

To teach them to flip the board have them straighten out as long as possible and roll hard, again very tough for kids six and under. All this applies to wake boarding but I noticed a few boarders joined the thread..good luck!

Here's my 4 year old:
93095

strad

04-14-2013, 11:51 PM

Thanks guys. Looking forward to getting him going as soon as the ski trainer gets here!